Harry Potter and the Annoying Books
by 115 Infection
Summary: Harry Potter, Hogwarts, guests and friends read the adventures of Harry Potter starting from first year in hopes of changing the dark future that lies ahead. The books they'er reading are not the ones we know and love though. These books, this Harry Potter and his adventures take place in an alternate universe. Where lots of things are different, but somethings stay the same.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the _Harry Potter_ series.**** This is a non-profit work, simply meant to help me polish off my ****literary skills. This story is rated M for many - many \- reasons, please read at your own discretion. This Harry has lived an extremely difficult and violent life, as such, there will be a lot of dark topics. This will be the only warning so please read responsibly. Thank you for your time, I hope you enjoy the story.**

Harry Potter and the Annoying Books

Harry Potter was not having a good day, in fact his entire school year… no it started before that, his entire summer had been terrible. Actually it started before that too. It was at the end of his forth year, the night when Cedric Diggory, a fellow Hogwarts student and Triwizard Champion, was killed on the orders of the now resurrected dark lord, Voldemort.

Voldemort was an incredibly talented wizard, so talented, that he was a Centurial Wizard. A wizard so powerful and gifted that there are only one or two of them born every century. He, like many Centurials in fact, was a Dark Lord, a wizard who used the dark arts of magic to kill, torture, rape, and pillage. Now he was back and no one believed Harry, who had fought him to a stand still, minutes after the Dark Lords resurrection. The Prophet, Magical Britain's most subscribed to news paper, had been running a smear campaign against Harry to discredit him, which worked, convincing the general population that he was full of it.

Harry was also having girl trouble, something that was relatively new to him, and yes, when compared to Voldemort, problems with the opposite sex didn't really stack up, but it was still something he was greatly invested in solving! Then, there was the Dementors that attacked both he and his cousin, Dudley Dursley. That led to more women trouble and his court hearing, which caused a rift between his mentor, Professor Dumbledore, and him.

There was honestly so much more he could complain about, but that wouldn't solve anything and it really wasn't his style. Besides what was really fouling up his day wasn't any of those things. No, it was the fact that a group of strangers according to the missive the Headmaster had sent him, along with the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, and his Undersecretary, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Dolores Umbrige had summoned him first thing in the morning to Headmaster Dumbledore's office. Of course, being that he didn't want to be around his mentor at the moment, and he didn't care for the Minister or his Undersecretary, he decided to first complete his daily workout before going to see what they wanted.

So after a sprinting a few laps around the Black Lake, followed by a repeated set of, push-up, sit-up, pull-up, squats and stationary lunges, he went back to his dorm room for a shower and a change of clothes. With petty satisfaction, at his small power play he finally found himself in Dumbledore's office surrounded by plenty of faces some new others he already knew. Each face, excluding one, had a variation of different emotions on them, ranging from amused, angry, awed, annoyed, happy, exasperated, and even one of disgust. He paused on the face of Fleur Dlacour, another Champion of the Triwizard tournament, both because he was surprised to see she wasn't in France, something he thought she would have mentioned in their correspondence, and because the emotion he saw on her face, could very well be lust if he wasn't imagining things.

_ "You are definitively not imagining it, I saw it too!"_ The voice in his head chimed in.

"You called for me?" Harry asked not looking at his Headmaster, instead nodding his head in recognition to those he knew, and giving those he didn't know evaluating looks, completely ignoring Fudge and Umbrige.

"Indeed I did my boy." Dumbledore replied, looking amused at the Potter heirs slight rebelliousness. "Everyone here, and even a few who couldn't wait for your arrival, have received the same letters." He paused to show Harry the letter, "Now I won't bore you with all the details, but the letter stated that we should assemble in my office at this time. Do you have any idea why?"

"No sir." Harry responded, slouching his shoulders in boredom, and stuffing his hands into the pockets of his robes.

Just as the professor was opening his mouth, one of the strangers Harry had noticed, but judging by the surprised looks on everyone's face, barring Dumbledore, they had not, separated themselves from the corner of the room and moved towards the group.

"That, would be my doing." Spoke the stranger, ignoring the fact the many in the room now had their wands in hand, looking nervous. "I apologize for the secrecy, but it needed to be done just as it was. Dark times are coming, these," he looked into Harry's eyes and magically floated up seven blank books above his raised hand, with no wand in sight, "will slow it down, and ultimately, help stop it." He finished skipping introductions and explanations to get to the heart of the matter.

"Who are you?" Questioned a severe looking woman, in a booming voice, with short, graying auburn hair. Harry's Instinct, told him this was the aunt Susan Bones, a beautiful witch in Harry's year that was also involved in his women troubles, would usually gush about.

"I demand to know who you are!" Shouted the Minster, looking frazzled at the ominous words.

"How did you get in?" Remus Lupin, Harry's parents werewolf friend, questioned suspiciously, having miss the man even with his heightened senses.

"Why did you call us here?" That question came from the a Weasley, possibly the oldest, William. The Weasley's were his best mates, Ron Weasley's family, and they had been good to him, so that automatically meant he would be looking out for him throughout this meeting along with everyone else he cared about.

"How could those books possibly help us stop what's coming?" Asked Nymphadora Tonks, a Metamorphmagus and an auror, who had spontaneously kiss Harry a week before he returned to school, and was also part of what caused his recent troubles with the women in his life.

"How can we trust you?" Growled Senior Auror Alastor Moody, ready to start casting at the next suspicious movement the stranger makes.

"Enough." The Headmaster said softly, but as Centurial Wizard himself, he didn't need to shout to get people to comply, he simply spoke and people tended to listen. "I believe, should we let the man speak, we would have most of our questions answered." He finished, steepling his long fingers together and nodding towards the stranger, as if giving him permission to speak, while Harry watched on with annoyance.

"Answer Moody's question first." Harry said, jabbing his thumb in the aurors direction, and getting the final word in.

_ "Must you always?"_ The voice questioned sounding exasperated from dealing with Harry.

The stranger complied, "I will swear an Oath, on my magic and my life. I will even submit myself to a single question under the effects of Veritaserum, as long as the one who asks the question makes an Oath to only ask if everything in the books is real. Keep in mind, however, that the future is not set in stone, but the future in these books, would have happened had I not intervened."

Harry looking intrigued, his Instinct having told him the man was telling the truth, jumped in before anyone else could speak. "What can you tell us about the books?"

"They follow your adventures at Hogwarts." The stranger responded with the same stoicism he had since Harry walked in.

"Why mine?" Harry asked rudely, annoyance plain to see on his face.

"Why indeed?" Here the man finally looked away from Harry and looked towards Dumbledore, who's eyes suddenly lost their twinkle.

"Of course." Harry scoffed following the mans gaze, " I already know what happens in the first few, the first four if each book is a year, so we'll just take the last three. After your Oath, of course." He finished, still slouching, but nonetheless prepared for an attack, even if his Instinct suggested he might not be able to win against this _man_.

The people around the room had the same expressions from earlier as Harry took over the conversation, but Umbriges disgust had morphed into apocalyptic rage, for not letting the Minister handle this as she thought he should.

Harry's last remark finally got an expression from the stoic person, but he didn't really care for amusement glimmering in their eyes. "Headmaster, would you mind binding me to the Oath?"

The powerful wizard rose to his full height with all the grace of a noblemen, belying his hundred fifteen years of age, and spoke. "It would be my pleasure." He drew his wand and extended it towards the stranger for him to grasp it as well.

The man did so, and immediately began the ritual. "I bind myself, Ahem Uhi, to…"

Dumbledore picked up the ritual expertly, "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore…"

A warm glow surrounded both mages as Ahem, and Dumbledore went back and forth, until they completed the Oath ritual, and Ahem proved he spoke the truth and the books would really show the future. Harry also got an answer to what had caused Ahem's amusement when the ritual was done and he turned to Harry, telling him the books could only be read in order and they had to be read in front of the people in the room, the ones who had left while waiting for Harry, and the students of Hogwarts. "If someone decides they do not wish to hear the story, however, you will be able to read it without them, but they have to decide that of their own free will."

Harry scoffed, the only reason he could think of for Ahem making it so the books had to be in order, was to try and shame him and expose all his secrets. Harry knew the bastard was the one who made them too, he sensed his magical power when Ahem and the Professor performed the Oath, and it dwarfed the combined magical powers of Dumbledore, his, and Tom Riddle, which was Voldemort's real name. That in itself was something that unnerved him, but that was just the kind of power that was needed to accurately predict the future, something that was always changing.

"And what's to stop me from preventing those books from being read, Ahem?" Harry asked, straightening up and casually pulling his wand out.

"Ultimately, whether the books are read or not, is up to you, Mr. Potter." He said, looking at Harry with even more amusement.

_ 'That lying boy should not be the one who decides that! I'm the Minister, it should be me who decides. Potter obviously doesn't want those books read so he can't be exposed as a liar!'_ The Minster thought, but was smart enough not to say that out loud while the unstable boy had his wand in hand.

Most of the other occupants in the room, felt that it should be Harry's choice, as it was his life that would be on display. Others thought it should be read regardless of his feelings considering the information would change the future, but only one person thought to say as much. They were saved from Potter's retaliation when some one beat him to it.

"This involves more than a simple boy. The books will be read, and that's final!" Stated Umbridge, but she was quickly cowed by the look Harry gave her while his wand sparked dangerously.

When he was going to tell her to fuck off, his mentor spoke, "The choice is yours and yours alone Harry, but do keep in mind that this would definitively prove to the world, that Voldemort is back, it would expose all the secrets you know of him, and it'll bring to light certain gross misconduct of justice."

Harry understood the old mans manipulations right away, but that didn't mean he was wrong. The book about his fourth year would prove Voldemort was back, and his third year would clear Sirius' name but perhaps there would be information that could come back to bite him on the ass, or on the ass of someone he cared about. He quickly ran through his memory, thinking back to times he should or could have gotten in trouble, but didn't because he wasn't caught or someone let him slide. "Fine!" He growled, gripping his wand tighter and leaning over Dumbledore's desk to glare into his twinkling blue eyes. "We'll read the damn books, but I want the Minister, the Head of the DMLE, and your word old man, that no one I care about will be punished for past actions. If that can be agreed to, we'll read the bloody books!" Harry shouted, ignoring the shouts of, "Mr. Potter!" and "Harry!" Whether the shouts were because of his language or for calling the Headmaster an old man he didn't know, and he didn't care.

Once the Headmaster gave his word, the woman Harry had correctly guessed was Susan's aunt, Madam Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, gave her word too, but only after both, Dumbledore gave his Oath to Ahem, and asked him the question while Ahem was under Veritaserum, and Harry told her that anyone he cared about could be brought up on charges as long as the crime was severe enough. Fudge and Umbridge, refuse to concede to his demands until they talked amongst themselves and agreed, that this would be the quickest and easiest way to prove that he was lying about the return of the Dark Lord.

Once that was cleared up, Ahem handed the books to Harry who reluctantly accepted them, before quickly handing them off to Remus as if they were poisonous. "Thanks Moony." He quickly said, not giving the kind man a chance to refuse. "Pleasure meeting you, Ahem. I appreciate the heads up in regards to the future and all, but I hope we don't meet again." He said as he turned and started heading for the door. "Hope that isn't too rude for you, but dealing with higher powers makes me uncomfortable." He finished as he kept walking. He had deciphered the name Ahem Uhi by talking it out with the voice in his head, while everything was going on. Harry knew the name was probably Indian in origin, but it didn't really make senses to him. It wasn't until he thought about Riddles name, and remembered the mad twat used an anagram to come up with the name Voldemort. The voice in his head played with the name for a bit and quickly noticed it was _"I am Hehu."_

_ "Yes, thank you."_ Harry replied in his head while thinking, _'Bet the bastard thought it was funny to mimic old Tommy boy. Still, not everyday you have one of the oldest recorded Gods, more importantly the God of eternity, potentially saving your ass from a bad future.'_ Harry looked back over his shoulder to see, the deity smirking at him. "I'll be down in the great hall so we can get this over with. Gentlemen, ladies" He dismissed himself, throwing a saucy wink, accompanied by a roguish smirk, in the general direction of where both Fleur and Nymphadora were standing together._ 'I wonder if receiving these books makes me like the Peverells from the legend?'_ Harry wondered to himself as he walk out.

_ "No, it doesn't."_ the voice mocked him.

Harry sighed, and entered the hall which was just starting to fill up. Taking a seat at the Gryffindor table, he began serving himself a small breakfast._ 'Shouldn't be long now before everyone's here and all my secrets are laid bare. Should at least be interesting if noting else.' _


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all. For the follows, favorites, and reviews. Hope my writing can live up to all of your expectations.**

Harry Potter & the Magical Awakening

By the time Harry was done with his meal, it seemed as though all the students had made it into the great hall. The staff was there too, including the bitter squib custodian, Argus Flinch, as well as the people who had been in the Headmasters office earlier that morning. He spotted Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ron's parents, and all of Ron's older siblings, who were sitting near Ron at the Gryffindor table off to the far right of the hall. All of his siblings besides that prick Percy of course, who had all but disowned his family to stay on the Ministers good side, and was sitting besides Fudge and half a dozen other influential wizards and witches in England's wizarding community up by the staff table.

There was also Madam Bones with eight of her Aurors seated on the opposite end of Fudge. Next to her group were the members of the Headmaster's vigilante group, the Order of the Phoenix. Harry spotted Mundungus Fletcher, a shady wizard who handled a lot of back alley deals, who Harry had met a few years prior. The female half-giant Olympe Maxime talking next to her male counterpart Hagrid. Remus was there as well, but it was Harry's Godfather, Sirius Black, who was in his animagus form, a large black dog that answered to the name Snuffles, that really captured his attention. It had been too long since the two had any real chance to talk, hopefully after these readings his Godfather would be acquitted of his charges and they could talk more often without the need for secrecy.

Harry thought it was just like his mentor to take an idea that already existed and tweak it to serve his own purpose. The original Order of the Phoenix was created by Sir Geralt, the last surviving knight of King Arthur, and the only practitioner of magic. The purpose of the Order, was to protect magical people from the Muggles who wanted to use magic users to wage their wars. The Headmaster took the Order of the Phoenix, and changed it to oppose the last two Centurial Dark Lords.

_'Which I suppose is a noble cause, but why not just start his own group instead of changing one that already existed?'_ Harry thought to himself grumpily. He had been the Lord Commander of the Order of the Phoenix for years, sworn in by Godric Gryffindor himself, but do to Dumbledore also using the Order's name for his group, Harry couldn't exactly tell anyone without them first assuming he was just another one of the Headmaster's followers.

_"You really need to let it go."_ the voice in his head said exasperated.

_"Get stuffed!"_ was Harry's reply before he continued looking around the packed hall to see what other guest were about.

Harry saw several others who must have been the people the Headmaster had said were unable to wait for Harry's arrival earlier. He saw the ancient alchemist Nick, better known as Nicholas Flamel, and his lovely wife, Perenelle. Harry was genuinely disappointed he hadn't had the chance to speak to them earlier - he blamed the Headmaster. He also saw a couple talking to Nymphadora, who could only be her parents. There was also Fleur's parents Lucien and Apolline, along with her younger sister Gabrielle. There was about half a dozen more he didn't recognize, but one that really stood out to him was Mrs. Malfoy, sitting at the opposite end of the hall from him at the Slytherin table. He was very surprised, but also thankful that Mr. Malfoy didn't seem to get an invite.

Harry couldn't help the smile that was tugging at the corner of his lips when he failed to spot Hehu, the God of eternity, who had set this whole thing in motion, was not there. _'Good, last thing I want is that smug bastard interfering even more in my life.'_ He thought to himself.

_"Because of his interference, you might be able to stop someone we care about from being hurt or worse."_ the bloody voice in his head reminded.

_"Yes, I'm well aware of that fact! That doesn't mean I have to like it!"_ Harry practically snarled, all traces of anything resembling a smile vanished from his face, replaced with a look that promised pain to any who bothered him.

Harry's friends, of coursed noticed, and exchanged concerned looks amongst themselves. They were really starting to worry now, not one of them had been able to get even so much as a "good morning," from him. When they sat next to him, or visited from other tables to try and engage him, all they received was an annoyed grunt of acknowledgment, or a slight bob of the head, while he seemed to be lost inside his own head. Having known him for five years, this wasn't the first time they had seen him like that. By now however, they knew to give him his space and he would come around eventually, that was just Harry's way, but his attitude along with the foul look on his face, meant there was more than likely trouble ahead, and he would be right in the middle of it.

Before anyone could try coxing information out of Harry, the Headmaster stood and addressed the hall. "Good morning to you all. Today, and until further notice, we will all be meeting here, in the great hall, after breakfast has been served. We will be reading from these books." He showed the hall all seven books, "They contain information that is vital for you all to have," he said, pausing again, but this time to look at each and everyone of his students to try and get through to them the importance of this event. "Our guest, will be here to join us throughout the readings, as this information should be available to many people as possible."

_'You sharing information, must really be the end of days.'_ Harry thought moodily to himself.

_"Oh yes, because you're so willing to share."_

_"Not now, damn it!"_ Harry mentally shouted back.

"Now, without further adieu, I shall begin." Dumbledore sated, not giving his curious audience a chance to ask questions, which as a professor, getting people to ask questions, was something he always encouraged, but even he was curious to see if the information held within could help him. He took a final, quick glance at his protégé, and prayed the books would help him mend the rift in their relationship before it was too late.

**"Harry Potter and the Magical Awakening"**

As Dumbledore read the books title out loud, Harry heard surprised gasps, and felt the eyes of the packed hall on him. He grimaced, causing most to look away, not wanting to be the target of his ire.

**"The Boy Who Lived."** The Professor read out the chapters title.

**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.**

After hearing Professor Dumbledore read out the first sentence, Harry withheld a growl from deep within his chest. "I was under the impression, Headmaster, that these books, were about my time here at Hogwarts, not my time spent with the Dursleys." He said, not being able to keep his growl suppressed while mentioning the books. He knew it wasn't Dumbledore's fault, but Hehu wasn't here for Harry to yell at, so he'd make do with his mentor.

"As you well know, we have not read these books, so we cannot say with certainty, what information will be held within, Mr. Potter." responded the Professor, knowing the lad was just annoyed with the situation. Before continuing, he addressed everyone in the great hall, "All that we know is that these books are not fabrications, and that everything inside did indeed happen exactly as it is stated."

Harry grimaced again, but since he agreed with the Headmaster, that the books are a sure fire way to convince the people, especially the people in power, that Voldemort had, in fact returned at the end of his fourth year, he decided not to say anything more on the topic.

"If you haven't read them, how can you be sure it's the truth, especially if you weren't there for the events?" asked a particularly bold second year Ravenclaw sitting at her house table near the Slytherins.

Dumbledore smiled reassuringly at the child, with twinkly eyes and all. "The Minister, his Undersecretary, the Head of the DMLE, along with myself and plenty of other witnesses, were able to authenticate the books, through the uses of both Veritaserum, and magical Oaths." He answered, while some students gasped at the mention of Oaths, and others looked at the book with anticipation at the secrets of one, Harry J Potter, held within.

Seeing no more immediate questions, he began reading again.

**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

A couple of people, mostly students, were already looking bored at the seemingly useless information on complete strangers, but no one said anything.

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a large man in every sense of the word. He was tall and wide, with hardly any neck, and a very thick spruce mustache. Mrs. Dursley, on the other hand, was a very thin woman, with blonde hair, and a neck that was almost twice as long as the average person. Her neck, however, seem to work in her advantage, since she spent so much time craning it over garden fences, spying on the neighbors.**

_'It seems, Lily's sister hasn't changed much over the years,'_ thought professor Severus Snape, the Potions instructor at Hogwarts, with his typical sneer in place.

"Handsome couple those Dursleys." snarked Fred Weasley, to his twin brother George, just loud enough for everyone hear.

Harry gave a faint snort of amusement, masking his worry over his life, living with the Dursley family, coming to light.

**The Dursley couple had a small son they named Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.**

Harry actually managed a smile at that line, but no one would ever confuse the nasty smile on his face for a happy one. _'Fat bastard didn't say small for long.'_ he thought vindictively.

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.**

Quite a few people look surprised, and even annoyed, that the Dursleys could be afraid of their knowing the Potters being discovered. The Potters were considered heroes to some, and they even had their own monument to commemorate their sacrifice.

"They should consider themselves lucky to have met them." Remus, growled out with the others who'd heard him nodding along.

"Why would they have a problem with that?" questioned Susan to her friends over at the Hufflepuff table, that was closest to the Gryffindor, but she didn't get an answer.

**Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't seen or spoken to each other for several years; in fact Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDersleyish as it was possible to be.**

Some snickering was heard at the use of the made up word. While others grumbled at the slight against Mr. Potter.

**The boringly normal family, shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived on their street. They knew the Potters had a small boy too, but they hadn't seen him and they both hoped they never would. That was another good reason to stay away from the Potters, they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

"'That child'? They're making it sound like there's something wrong with him." said Madam Pomfery, the schools healer towards her good friend, Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration professor.

"I can't understand why. He does have a habit of breaking a few rules, but nothing that would cause parents to try and keep their child away from him." chimed in Professor Sprout, the Herbology professor.

Professor McGonagall nod her head, along with several other adults who heard them.

Down where the students, and most of the guest with children at the school sat, all of the young ladies who cared for Harry, along with his friends narrowed their eyes at the book.

**When the Dursleys woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his highchair. They never noticed the large tawny owl flutter past the window.**

Harry looked around the hall and noticed that while everyone was looking in the direction of the book, most of the people looked bored with the extremely slow start. _'You'll get your excitement soon enough, just hope you can handle it.'_ he thought with his typical smirk on his face, as he imagined the reaction some people would have to his action packed childhood. Although he was still a tiny bit worried to how his friends and those that cared for him would react, but there was nothing he could do about it now, plus he was sitting amongst them, so obviously he was fine. _'Yeah, I'll just tell them that if anyone starts freaking out.'_

_"Good idea, I'm sure that'll work."_

_"Prick."_

**At half-past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, his coffee, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek and tried to kiss Dudley goodbye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.**

"Unruly child." Mrs. Weasley, one of Harry's best mate, Ron Weasley's, mother huffed.

**"Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar - a cat reading a map.**

"Professor?" Hermione Granger, Harry's best friend, and almost-sort-of girlfriend, asked the transfiguration professor, Minerva McGonagall. All those who were wondering the same thing looked in the Professors direction to see her response.

Ms. McGonagall gave a slight nod of her head, confirming that she had in fact been that cat.

"What made you think it was her?" Ron asked Hermione in what he considered a hushed voice, but was heard by most of the table and the Hufflepuffs near by.

"It was a reading cat in a book about Harry, mate. Kind of obvious isn't it?" answered Neville Longbottom, another close friend of Harry's, causing a few to laugh at Ron, even those who hadn't put it together themselves.

Ron just grumbled in annoyed embarrassment and the tips of his ears flushed scarlet. Harry chuckled and smacked his mates back, "Haha. Don't sweat it mate. I'm sure Crookshanks could have read the map too."

That seemed to bring a smile to both Ron and Hermione who was beaming at Harry for the praise directed to her fluffy cat.

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen - then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light.**

Some people laughed at how naïve the Muggle was to not trust his own eyes, while those who viewed Muggles as beneath them, felt justified in their beliefs.

"Pathetic Muggle." Draco Malfoy, an annoying, inbred, fool, who thought himself Harry's rival, sneered loudly hoping to get a reaction out of the Potter heir. As he was so focused on Harry, he missed most of the glares sent his way, even his mother's. Not that she disagreed - but one mustn't be too open about controversial topics in front so many unknowns.

Harry, hearing Malfoy's remark, smirked viciously in the direction of the book. All of his past incidents with his pathetic uncle, Vernon, would be exposed in front of adults; adults with the power to throw his fat arse into Azkaban and toss the bloody key. _'Can't believe that slipped my mind.'_ he thought cheerfully.

Malfoy quickly looked away after seeing that smirk. He'd seen that terrible smirk before, Potter always wore it when his targets were about to have something horrible befall them. _'He wouldn't lash out over a stupid comment, right?'_ Draco thought while looking towards the staff table, hoping they saw that blasted smirk and would make sure he would be fine. All he saw, were disappointed looks for his words against the Muggle, he looked down and hoped Potter would let it go, almost considering bribing Greengrass to call Potter off the next time they met in a broom closet to, 'discuss current events'.

**Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat it the mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive - no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs. Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind.**

**As he drove towards town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to gat that day. But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.**

Most of the adults present understood what that meant, many of them could still recall the ways they and others had celebrated the Dark Lords demise.

"What's strange about people wearing cloaks?" asked a confused Ernest Macmillan. A pureblood blood student from Hufflepuff that always managed to annoy Harry.

"Muggles don't wear cloaks." answered the Muggles Studies professor, Burbage, much to the horror of a first year, pureblood Hufflepuff, _'Do they just walk around in their underwear?'_ she thought, sporting a huge blush.

**Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes - the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fat fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together.**

"Why are there so many wizard in the muggle world without trying to blend in?" questioned Cho Chang, Cedric's ex-girlfriend.

Harry answered, surprising many as he normally didn't bother answering trivial questions, much less when they weren't asked to him directly, but he felt bad for the girl so he said, "I assume, they're out celebrating the end of the war."

"Very astute, Mr. Potter. That's exactly what seems to be occurring." said Madame Bones, looking surprised, while both of Moody's eyes focused on Harry evaluating him for what must have been the hundredth time, along with his fellow Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mrs. Malfoy, and Mrs. Zabini, the mother of a Slytherin student in Harry's year.

**Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him! Mr. Dursley, waited for his opportunity, rolled his window down, and just before he started driving forward, he threw his still hot coffee mug at a group of them. "Get a job you fucking freaks!" he bellowed out as his car peeled out, congratulating himself on putting them in their place.**

Gasps rung out throughout the great hall at the horrible mans actions, Harry himself, just growled out loudly at the despicable act his uncle committed. Those who cared about Harry, and knew he lived with that man, looked at him with concern. Seeing his friends worrying, he let his growl die out, and gave them a reassuring smile so they could feel better but it only worried them more - they knew how to tell apart his real smiles from the fake ones. Hermione, sitting to his right took his hand in hers, and Ron, sitting to his left gave his back a sympathetic pat.

He snorted, "Thanks guys, but you're worried about nothing." Even though he said they shouldn't worry, he still took the opportunity to interlock his fingers with Hermione. _'Might as well right?'_

_"Sure! This couldn't possibly backfire."_ the voice mocked while Harry dutifully ignored it - you just had to sometimes. Of course Harry failed to notice Hermione's blushing cheeks or that quite a few people were looking at their joined hands with narrowed eyes.

**A few minutes after that, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, still riding a high for starting out his morning so productively, but he was at work now, so he turn his mind back onto what really mattered - drills.**

"Bullying strangers is considered, productive?" asked Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister, with sarcasm dripping off her words.

"For him, bullying anyone is productive." Harry grunted under his breath, but even so, those near him heard and once more exchanged worried glances.

**Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills. He didn't see the owls swooping by in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at night time.**

"How do they get their mail then?" asked Padma Patil, an attractive Indian witch in Ravenclaw in Harry's year, with an identical twin sister, Parvati, who was in Gryffindor with him.

"Muggles have a courier service that hand delivers them." Hermione answered.

"Very primitive." snarked a seventh year Slytherin.

"They're Muggles, what can you expect?" laughed Nott, another Slytherin, but this one was in Harry's year, along with all of his sycophants.

"Actually, Muggle mail is delivered much faster than owls if the sender and receiver are far apart." corrected Hermione, always one to try and better educate people.

Their laughter died at her words, and Nott began to blush at being corrected in front of the entire school by not only a woman, but by a fucking mudblood no less. "Nobody asked you, you stupid mud…" Notts angry retort died in his throat as Harry projected his Dementoresque aura directly at him.

"That mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble Nott. You should really work on that, wouldn't want you ending up like your Lord Father." Harry said, reminding Nott, and everyone in the hall about the Lord Nott's disappearance. Of course, not everyone knew that Harry had actually killed the man on the night of Voldemort's resurrection.

Nott was too busy shivering as his worst memories descended on him to pay attention to Harry's words, much less respond to them. The same did not apply to Nott's Head of House, Severus Snape. "Twenty points from Gryffindor Mr. Potter."

As Harry was about to retort, Hermione squeezed his hand - hard. "Let it go Harry!" she whispered urgently.

"Fine." Harry grumbled, swallowing the words, and letting his spell die out while letting go of Hermione's hand. He looked back towards the Headmaster, who had that damnable smile on his face, looking back at Harry, as if waiting for him to be done before he continued reading. The Headmaster seemed to understand Harry was letting it go so he picked the story back up.

**Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He had a very productive day, he yelled at a handful of people, made some important business calls, yelled at some more people, and fired a woman - honestly, trying to do a mans job!**

"Real class act, that man." Lee Jordan, the Weasley twins friend, said to them.

"He's a disgusting, chauvinistic pig." huffed Hermione, who had heard Lee and was still annoyed at Nott, looking truly offend.

"He certainly is, dear." agreed Molly Weasley, the matriarch of the Weasley family, who would normally scold a teen for speaking that way, but she felt the horrible excuse for a man deserved what was said and more.

**Mr. Dursley was in an incredible mood throughout the entire day until it was time to go home. As he stepped outside to head to the parking lot, see saw more freaks in cloaks - he'd forgotten about them, and now they stood between him and his car! He supposed he'd just have to ignore them since he didn't have a quick way out this time.**

"Coward!" Ron chimed in loudly, make people laugh and nod along, while also getting Harry to chuckle in amusement at the spot-on observation.

**He eyed them angrily as he passed them by. He didn't know why, but these lunatics made his uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly too, and a snipped on the conversation he heard stopped him dead.**

_'Pity it didn't actually kill him.'_ Harry thought to himself.

**"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard -"**

**"- yes, their son, Harry-"**

**Fear flooded him. He looked back at them, wanting to be sure his fears were unfounded- they had to be, right? He hurried towards his car, his mustache quivering with fear. He was overreacting, there had to be dozens of unrelated Potters, and one of them was bound to have a son named Harry. Potter and Harry weren't such unusual, these freaks just had him on edge - yes, he wasn't even sure if the brats name was Harry. It was probably Harold, or Harvey.**

"He doesn't even know your name?" Mrs. Weasley raged in disgust.

When Harry looked in her direction to reassure her, he saw Madame Pomfrey, Professors McGonagall, Spout, Babbeling and both Mrs. Tonks and Apolline glaring at the book venomously.

_'If they're that upset over something so small, the rest of the book might be impossible for them to get through.'_

"Haha. It's nothing to worry about, Mrs. Weasley. I assure you, he definitively knows my name by now." Harry chuckled, and tried to reassure them all that this was nothing to get worked up over. He even flashed them a winning smile while he said it, to really push the point that he was fine, home.

They seemed reluctant to let it go, but in the end his mentor came through for him, and continued reading before more could be said. Harry didn't fail to notice most of the young ladies also upset about that line in the book, and he hoped he reassured them too. He did, however, fail to notice two of the women who followed Dumbledore also glaring at the book, along with Perenell.

**Mr. Dursley picked up the pace, but as he was about to enter the parking lot, he bumped into some one. "Are you blind you little twit? Watch your where you're walking!" he shouted down at the little old man in the violet cloak.**

**The wizened man stumbled and almost fell over, then a look of shock crossed his face at the rude man's behavior. "Yes, right, pardon me sir." He said before he seemed to remember something and a wide smile broke across his face. "My dear sir, we shouldn't let something so small ruin this day! We should rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!" the old man finished happily, with tears glimmering in his eyes.**

Certain people look to Harry after his assumption was proven correct, by the book, and not only the backing of Madame Bones.

Over at the Slytherin table Lily Moon, an attractive brunette who was in Harry's year turned to her two acquaintances Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis, "Seems like you ladies actually chose a man with a brain." she said and Tracey, a gorgeous red haired with deep blue eyes glared at her.

Daphne, the stunningly beautiful blonde witch with violet eyes turned her head between both witches on either side of her, an elegant brow raised questioningly. "You chose him too then?" she asked Tracey directly with a bit of frost in her voice, skipping over the useless questions most people would have asked.

"That's probably not a conversation we should have with everyone listening in." Tracey replied primly, still glaring at Lily for opening her big mouth.

"Later then." Daphne ended the conversation, wondering if her friendship with Tracey had blinded her to the fact that she was threat to her budding relationship with Harry.

While the three Slytherin girls were having their discussion, a friendlier one was taking place in hushed whispers at the Hufflepuff table. "Aunt Amy seems impressed with your beau Susie." Hannah Abbott, a cute blonde said slyly, trying to fluster her more developed childhood friend, Susan.

It worked and Susan turned her head sharply to see if anyone else heard - more importantly she checked if any of Harry's close friends heard. Seeing that his friends weren't sending her those knowing smirks her housemates currently were, she assumed she was in the clear. "Hannah! What would he think if he heard you?" she whispered sharply in return to her friends teasing, her face as red as her long hair in both anger and embarrassment.

Hannah just chuckled her friends anger away with a flippant wave of her hand. "Haha. What's the problem with him hearing?"

"We… haven't discussed what whether or not we're dating yet." she mumbled, her head down and her hair shadowing her eyes, as she share her insecurity over the situation with her best friend.

Hannah's humor faded quickly and she grabbed Susan's hand comfortingly. "You can speak to him about it after these things are read, and if he still refuses to give you a straight answer, well that would be enough answer in and of itself wouldn't it?"

"I suppose." Susan answered not really looking forward to that conversation, but knowing it was needed.

Hannah seeing her friend so down glared at the boy responsible. Harry spotted someone glaring in his general direction from the corner of his eye and turn to look properly only to bleak owlishly when he saw he was the one being glared at. "Oi, Nev? Why's your bird glaring at me?" he asked, making sure to say it just loud enough for Hannah to make out what he was saying while turning to Neville.

Neville cheeks pinked a bit but he turned to Harry challengingly and smirked. "Don't know mate. You probably did something to your bird and Hannah's angry on Susie's behalf. You know how women can be." Neville finished cockily, sure he'd turned the attention back onto Harry.

It worked for a second too. Quite a few females were sending Harry looks of disappointment, anger, annoyance, and sadness. Hermione even removed her hand from Harry's. Of course those gazes soon left Harry to stare at Neville who quickly paled at all the attention and realization began sinking in.

"'How women can be'?" Harry repeated questioningly, making sure to use his mask of innocence while smiling smugly inside. Neville had come a long way from the shy boy Harry had met first year, but it be a long time before he would be capable of getting one over on Harry.

Neville quickly tried back peddling, and he redoubled his efforts when he felt his grandmothers disapproving frown. However, when he saw his girlfriend watching him with an eyebrow raised he became a stuttering, blushing mess, and Ron pat his back sympathetically, setting the hall off in laughter. When the laughing died down the Headmaster read on.

**The old man proceeded to try and hug Mr. Dursley, but didn't come close to being able to wrap his arms around the man's gargantuan girth. Mr. Dursley was having none of it though. He grab the small man and easily threw him aside, "Listen here you fuckin' poofter! You try that shite again and I'll ring the life outta you!" Mr. Dursley raged, towering over the fallen man. spiting on him in disgust, he turned away, ignoring the shocked stares of those around him, and stormed towards his car, his day ruined - it had started out so well too.**

Just like that the pleasant mood in the hall was destroyed by that terrible mans behavior. "Bloody hell mate, if all Muggles were like this one-" Started Fred.

"Then all the pureblood propaganda might have-" Continued George.

"Had some legs to stand on." Finished Fred.

The adults were too shocked at the atrocious behavior of the grown man, and so the only one who scolded the twins, was Hermione, who thought their comment was in poor taste even if they did have a point.

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, still fuming, the first thing he saw - and it only worsened his mood - was the blasted t****abby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.**

"You were there all day, Professor? Why?" ask Harry not really seeing a practical reason for doing so.

"I was, yes. I wanted to see how the family you could have been staying with behaved."

Harry didn't wish to be rude to someone he respected in front of so many people, so he only stared at her with a raised brow, wondering what the point was since she obviously saw how they behaved and he still ended up there. _'Was she just unable to spot all the obvious signs that these people shouldn't be raising children? If that was the case, why did she even bother going?'_

She seemed to understand his look, and he could have swore he saw a bit of color in her cheeks as she turned her head to face the book.

**He wanted grab the cat and toss it away, but he couldn't have the neighbors seeing that, so instead he said, "Shoo!" very loudly. The cat didn't move, it just gave him a stern glare.**

A few people laughed while others just smiled; that definitely sounded like Ms. McGonagall.

**Was this normal cat behavior he wondered. Trying to pull himself, he gave a big huff, at let himself into the house. He walked into the kitchen to find his wife. Mrs. Dursley had a nice normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problem with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word, "Won't".**

Harry chuckled. "Haha. That sounds about right." his people smiled at hearing him laugh again, hoping he was entering a better mood now.

"Sounds like a brat." Ginny said.

"Yeah, you could say that." he said, not wanting to swear in front of Mrs. Weasley again so soon.

**When Dudley had been put to bed, Mr. Dursley turned on the news, only to hear about swarms of owls flying around during the day, about shooting stars all over Britain, and groups of those freaks in cloaks.**

That was one insult too many for the witches and wizards in the hall, and Dumbledore had to pause his reading for a few minutes to let them get it out of their systems.

"Who the hel does that Muggle think he is?"

"Freaks are we?"

"Pff. As if I'd care what some fat Muggle thinks!"

**Mrs. Dursley came into the living room, carrying two cups of tea. He remembered the whispered conversation about the Potters. It was no good, he had wanted to avoid bringing up his wife's unnatural sister up but he had to say something.**

Hearing that fat fucker call his mother 'unnatural' brought up memories best left forgotten, and it angered Harry. Angered him so much so that his fine control over his Core briefly slipped a tiny fraction, and he wasn't able to keep his magic from visibly pulsing outwards from him. It didn't hurt anyone, but seeing the golden and red wave of his magic burst out from him, really shocked everyone. It took a ridiculous amount of magic for it to visibly manifest in such a pure form.

"Sorry about that." he grunted out, annoyed with himself for his lack of control.

While Harry might have been annoyed by the slip up, it affected most everyone else in hall differently. One of the most notably effected was Fleur, whos cheeks were flushed red, her soft pink lips opened in an inaudible moan, and her sparkling blue eyes were half lidded shining with barley contained lust, not that Harry noticed. The men sitting around her at the family guest table were scooting away from her as she loosened up her tight hold on her Allure.

Dumbledore eyed him carefully, his eyes still twinkling, searching for something. He must have found whatever it was, because with a smile and understanding nod, he went back to the book.

**He cleared his throat nervously. "Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from that sister of yours lately, have you?" As he expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she wasn't related to her useless sister.**

Harry growled loudly, and his eyes darkened as they narrowed on the book.

**'With every insult to Lily, the Dursleys move closer and closer to becoming potion ingredients.'** thought Snape.

Emmeline Vane, a member of Dumbledore's resistance and unknown to Harry, a close friend of his mother, Lily Potter cursed under her breath at how her old friends sister was behaving.

**"No," she said sharply. "Why?" She asked eyeing him dangerously, she still remembered how he had undressed her freak of a sister with his eyes the few times he had seen her.**

Harry slammed his heavy metal arm on the thick table hard enough to crack it some, and he barred his teeth. His incisors sharpen, his growl became so deep and loud, that it was actually being felt by those closet to him, but the most worrying part for those who knew what was happening, was that there was a smarting of amethyst purple flecks mixing with his emerald green irises.

"Harry, try to calm down!" Hermione implored urgently as she placed her hand on his forearm, while Ron place his hand on his mates shoulder.

"I'm going to rip the fuckers eyes out feed them to him!" he promised dangerously.

He heard the reprimanding calls of "Mr. Potter!" and "Harry!" but he easily ignored them. What he couldn't ignore was Madame Bones, cold, steel grey eyes boring into him, watching him like one would a caged animal that might just break out.

"Mr. Potter, I gave my word that you wouldn't be charged for anything we discover from these books, but if you threaten to maim a muggle again, I will hold you accountable. Know that the fine for such a charge, has drastically risen in the past year." she stated coldly.

Harry's response was going to be very rude, when he caught sight of Susan, almost in tears at the sight of him and her aunt at odds. "Understood." He said shortly the tension leaving his body. He pat Hermione's hand, and nod his head to Ron in thanks for trying to help and they smiled back looking half worried, half exasperated.

Through all the commotion, no one noticed the Potion Master trembling with rage, and a deadly glint in his dark eyes.

**"Funny stuff on the news is all." Mr. Dursley mumbled, "Owls - shooting stars - and there have been a lot of odd people in town today."**

**"So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley.**

**"Well, I just thought… maybe… it was something to do with her kind."**

Insulted mutters broke out across the hall.

**Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wonder if he should mention he heard the name Potter. Instead he casually said, "Their son would of an age with Dudley, wouldn't he?"**

**"I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley coldly.**

**"The brats name, its Howard, isn't it?"**

**Her response was warmer, "Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."**

"Good thing no one asked you!" snapped Ginny, she actually liked his name.

"I don't know, I always wanted something cooler." Harry said with the edge he had in his voice earlier less pronounced but still present. "Always thought I'd name my kid something like Ares, or James."

A few adults smiled at that, and plenty of young ladies blushed, imaging themselves giving Harry a child. Snuffles even bark excitedly at the idea of his Godson naming his child after his late best friend.

**"Yes, yes, I quite agree." he answered quickly, not wanting to upset his wife again.**

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though waiting for something. Was he imagining things? Could this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did… if it got out that they were related to a pair of abnormal… well. He didn't think he could bear it.**

"Good to know." Harry whispered darkly, while the rest of the hall rumbled with the annoyed mumblings of the students - there was nothing wrong with being magical.

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and his wife. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind. He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on - he yawned and turned over - it couldn't affect them…**

**How wrong he was.**

Harry sighed, he wished Vernon could have been right for once in his miserable life. His friends heard him sighing and exchanged worried looks for what must have been the dozenth time that day.

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sing of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, it's eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

Some mummers about the Professors' patience, having stayed still for most of the day, were heard.

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cats tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

The students, who had been becoming more bored with the weak start to the book, perked up at the mention of someone apparating silently - something that most wizards couldn't do.

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were, light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

_'Finally!'_ thought Harry, _'I was getting sick of hearing about Vernon's pointless day.'_ Harry didn't know it, but the majority of the people in the great hall felt the same way.

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was too busy, rummaging in this cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat amused him.**

**He chuckled and muttered, "I should have know."**

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.**

"Why wouldn't you simply use your wand?" ask an extremely confused seventh year, sitting at the Ravenclaw table.

"It was a device I invented in my youth, that I rarely get the chance to use, so I tend to leap at the opportunity to use it whenever a chance arises." answered the Headmaster.

Harry could understand that, he himself had made plenty of useless inventions, (useless because he could get the same result with his wand not because they didn't work,) but he always preferred using them when he could get away with it.

**He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Deluminator,**

The Headmaster chuckled lightly - he had almost named it the 'Put-Outer'.

Harry and many students wanted to question what was so funny, but the students weren't brave enough to ask, and Harry was to prideful to do anything that might help mend the rift between them. From experience, he knew that sometimes simply asking an innocent question of the man could lead to the two of them having hour long discussions, which was something he was trying to avoid these days.

**until the only lights left on the whole street were only two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even the beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't have been able to see anything that was happing down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Deluminator back inside his cloak and set off down the street towards number four, were he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

**"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."**

**He turned to smile a the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around it's eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.**

"Why were you ruffled Professor? Wasn't everyone celebrating the end of the war?" ask a curious first year Hufflepuff having never seen the Professor look anything but stern and composed.

"I had recently learned that I had lost people very dear to me, Ms. Jefferson." McGonagall answered with a bit of sadness in her voice.

**"Albus." She greeted stiffly.**

**"Have you been here all day, my dear, you seem rather stiff?"**

**"I have." McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

**"You could have been celebrating, I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."**

**"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursley's dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls, shooting stars, cloaks. Well, they're not completely stupid."**

"You think Muggles are stupid, Professor?" Hermione asked coldly, glaring at her head of house. She was a Muggle-born. As the name implies, a Muggle-born is a witch or wizard born to two Muggles.

Harry just called them first gens - short for first generation. He'd also toyed with the "Newbloods", but that would give credence to the Pureblood dogma, which wasn't something he was sure he wanted to do just yet.

"Not at all Ms. Granger, it was a stressful time, and I had spent the day watching the Dursleys." McGonagall quickly tried to justify why she had said that. Hermione was definitively not a witch you wanted angry with you.

Harry placed his hand on Hermione's thigh under the table. "That's understandable, Professor. I tend to think less of Muggles after a day with the Dursleys too." he quipped, getting some scattered chuckles from all tables, while also receiving some worried looks.

Hermione huffed, crossed her arms under her chest and looked away from Mrs. McGonagall and back towards the book with a blush on her cheeks. Harry removed his hand as Dumbledore continued.

**"They're bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."**

Dedalus Diggle, who was sitting along with his fellow Order members, turned his head sharply in Professor McGonagall's direction with an indignant look on his face. "Just what are you-"

"So that wasn't you firing off celebratory spells in Kent, Dedalus?" questioned the professor with a bit of color in her cheeks at being caught out, but managing to appear stern all the same.

"Well… that is to say…" Dedalus trailed off, looking away from Professor McGonagall with a guilty expression. The hall just looked on with slight amusement, a few errant laughs even ringing about.

"**You cannot blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We have had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."**

**"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being down right careless, out in the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors."**

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very same day You-Know-Who seems to have vanished at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Albus?"**

"He's not lucky enough to get away from me that easily." Harry grumbled ominously, all the bad things that he has had to experience, could be traced back to the snake fucker, and Harry didn't plan on letting the sadistic bastard die until he truly suffered at Harry's hands.

**"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"**

**"No, thank you," Professor McGonagall said coldly, rejecting the Muggle candy, and looking at Dumbledore as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-know-Who has gone-"**

**"My dear, for eleven years now, I have been trying to convince you and everyone else to end all this, 'You-Know-Who', nonsense. Now seems like an excellent time to start calling him by his proper name: Voldemort."**

Harry took careful notice of those who didn't flinch as the Headmaster said the name - proudly noticing that none of his friends (followers) flinched, while only two of his mentor's followers managed to do the same.

**Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who'. I have never been frightened of saying Voldemort's name."**

Another flinch from the crowd and Harry couldn't help but shake his head, _'Makes no sense to fear the name when it's not cursed or anything.'_ He understood that the name could conjure up horrible memories, but so could Grindelwald's, or Hitler's, but people had no problem saying those. _'Seems stupid, honestly.'_

**"I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."**

**"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort didn't fear me, he simply acknowledged I was a threat. He had no need to fear me, after all, he had powers I will never have."**

**"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them."**

"Not quite. They just practice different branches of magic. Just as Voldemort has powers the old man doesn't, the Headmaster has powers the parasitic fuck will never have. It has nothing to do with being noble." Harry blurted out without meaning to, his mind too busy wondering how his powers differentiated from Voldemort's, Gellert Grindelwald's - a Centurial Dark Lord, who possessed a mastery of magic to rival the Headmaster - and his mentor's.

He knew what powers the four of them had in common, those had been all too easy to figure out. He knew what separated him from both Dumbledore and Gellert; he knew what separated both great wizards from each other too. Voldemort, however, still had unknown powers, and that made him the most dangerous to Harry. That wasn't to say, that he knew every spell Dumbledore and Grindelwald had amassed in their long lives exploring magic, or that they weren't a danger to him if they fought against him, but Harry knew their styles, and he could proudly say he had learned some of their spells from each of the wizards tutelage.

What made Professor Dumbledore and Gellert similar, was that both used Transfiguration and Conjuration during battles, with a mastery that was rivaled only by each other. They also used raw Elemental magic, Harry was also proud that in that specific branch of magic, he rivaled both wizards already. However, what separated them from each other, was that the Headmaster also used Illusions, Enchantments, and Alchemy, while Grindelwald used Bloodmagic, Divination, and Runes. It went without saying that…

"Ow! Curls, what the hell?" Harry exclaimed surprised, rubbing the back of his head where Hermione smacked him.

"Harry James Potter, watch your language, there are children present! And don't call the Headmaster an old man." she lectured.

"Hermione, the book has already said worse and I'm sure it'll only get more vulgar as…" Harry began defending himself, but stopped abruptly when he saw the look in her eyes, and he knew she wouldn't let him get out of it. "Whatever." he huffed out, turning back towards the book and missing Hermione's victorious smile.

He could tell a few of the adults wanted to say something to him as well, but seemed to think Hermione had handled it well enough.

"Right you are, my boy." Dumbledore responded jovially, eyes still twinkling.

**"No nobility involved, my dear, simply a fact that he and I use different branches of magic."**

"Harrykinns and the Headmaster-"

"Think alike." Fred finished, picking up where his brother left off, and causing a few exaggerated looks of concern for Harry's sanity to be thrown at Harry.

_"It's as if they didn't know you already went around the bend, aye."_ Before Harry could respond, Neville was already talking to him.

"Haha. Since you and the Headmaster think alike, should we be worried about your wardrobe becoming… bolder?" questioned Neville with a wide grin getting a round of laughter from the hall. It was a bit of a running joke between Harry and his mates, that since Harry's return to the wizarding world, he had made more changes to wizarding fashion then Witch Weekly, a tabloid popular amongst younger witches.

"Bugger off you…" Harry began before his brain caught up to his mouth, something that he had noticed started last year around his friends, almost like his mind didn't feel the need to filter what he said around them. "Sorry Mione." he said preemptively with a sheepish smile, knowing she was bound to yell at him again for his abysmal language.

She simply huffed and looked away while a large portion of the school chuckled at how they tended to act like an old married couple.

**Professor McGonagall accepted that answer and threw Dumbledore a sharp look, "The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"**

All the amusement drained from Harry's face in an instant and his true emotions were buried beneath his politicians mask; an attractive, if empty, smile with guarded eyes and perfect posture. When that happened Snuffles whined and buried his snout under his paws. Remus, Arthur and Dumbledore looked on sadly that someone so young could so easily hide his real emotions so expertly.

Many of the older women who gave off a maternal feeling shared that sentiment.

**It seemed the Professor had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever everyone was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.**

**"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. The rumor is that James and Lily Potter are - are - that they're - dead."**

**Dumbledore bowed his head.**

Many people in the hall followed the same action. Harry reflexively allowed his fake smile to fade, replace by an acceptable frown to match the feeling around the hall. In his mind he relived the memory of his last fight against Voldemort. He remembered the way he picked apart Voldemort's Death Eaters, the way his torture curse struck the Dark Lord, the way the pathetic parasite fled from Harry, robbing him of his revenge.

**Professor McGonagall gasped.**

**"James and Lily… I cant believe it… Albus, please tell me little Harry isn't…"**

Harry felt many eyes on him and looked up meeting each set of eyes that were on him until they looked away, many of them even looked away before he got to them.

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "Hagrid is bringing him now." he reassured her.**

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "Thank the heavens, but that's not all. They're saying he tried to kill baby Harry, but he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone."**

**Dumbledore nodded, glumly.**

Harry narrowed his eyes on Dumbledore. "How exactly were you so sure I was the cause of his disappearance?" he asked putting the old man on the spot even though Harry already knew the answer.

"Alas, that is something I cannot speak about at this point and time my boy." the Headmaster replied smoothly, ignoring the glares he was receiving.

Harry allowed some anger to leak into his voice while keeping his expression neutral. "Am I really going to have to find out what you're hiding from these bloody books old man?"

The Headmaster allowed the tension between them to build and Harry only added to the tension by flexing his magic just enough for those who were sensitive to sensing magic, to feel it building up. The Headmaster gave his patent smile and instantly flexed his own magic to the same exact level Harry's was at. _'Damn. I hate how impressive that was.'_ Harry thought.

_"You're not impressed, your envious. You're just jealous you don't have that precision.'_

_"And you're just jealous that you're only a disembodied voice in my head!"_ Harry responded was venomous, as he tilted his head in the Headmasters direction and signifying the old bastard had this win.

However, Dumbledore's response to Harry's intimidation tactic caused the hairs on both Remus' and Snuffles' neck to rise in agitation and they both growled in the powerful wizards direction. They knew Harry could take care of himself for the most part, but that didn't mean they would allow anyone to threaten him.

The school staff were divided on who to scold between the Headmaster and Harry. Most settled for looking disapprovingly at the Potter heir. Surprisingly the majority of the students turned their own disapproving stares at the Headmaster and his own followers followed suit. His followers who glared at him the hardest were, his younger brother, Aberforth, Emmeline, and Tonks. Of course the eldest Dumbledore ignored all the looks with practiced ease before he continued reading.

**"It's - it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done… all the people he's killed… he couldn't kill a child? It's just astounding… of all the things to stop him… but how in Merlin's name did Harry survive?"**

**"We can only guess for now." said Dumbledore.**

Harry gave a snort of derision, simultaneously causing most of his friends and the people who cared about him to look at him with concern and for while other glared at the Headmaster for keeping his secrets.

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge.**

"Another one of your inventions, Albus?" questioned Arthur who was not only in charge of a section of the Ministry of Magic that dealt with Muggle related problems and affairs, but he also had an odd fascination with Muggle inventions.

"I'm afraid I cannot take credit for that amazing watch. It was actually a parting gift from the last Astrology Professor here at Hogwarts when he retired." responded Dumbledore and Mr. Weasley nod his head in understanding while making a mental note to question Albus on how it functions at a later date.

**It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he out it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I would be here?"**

That line got a couple looks sent towards the friendly giant, many people wondering why exactly Hagrid was taking Harry instead of a family member or friend of the Potters.

**"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I suppose you're going to tell me why you're here of all places?"**

**"I have come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They are the only family he has left now."**

**"You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"**

**"It is the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly.**

"You seem awfully sure of that assessment Headmaster. Even though there were quite a few more suitable homes I could have been placed at." Harry asked Dumbledore, starting a conversation he had been having every few years with the man. Harry needed confirmation on his theory before following through with his plan.

"We were at war Harry. We did not know who we could trust, much less who we could entrust with your life and upbringing." Dumbledore said, not quite exasperated yet.

"So you've said, but I've yet to find a family less suited to raising children than the Dursleys. Is there perhaps a different reason for my isolation from the wizarding world?" Harry asked, the implication in his question clear for everyone to hear. Harry was honestly fed up at this point.

Had Harry not been so focused on Dumbledore, he would have noticed the few heads snapping in his direction with concern at his comment about the Dursleys. Even more heads followed at his loaded question, and not even Hermione taking his hand would deter him from this long due conversation.

"I assure you, Harry. My main concern at the time was for your safety, nothing more." The Headmaster stated, looking down his crooked nose at Harry disapprovingly. Harry responded by clicking his tongue but didn't say anything more - the book was bound to reveal more as Professor McGonagall clearly seemed to be convinced Harry would be better off somewhere else. Either way Harry would be getting his answer before this chapter was competed.

"**His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he is older. I have written them a letter."**

**"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall.**

"A letter?" repeated a majority of the hall. None more loudly than a very irate Mrs. Wesley, but she did have some competition in the forms of Madam Poppy, Professors Sprout and Babbling, Perenelle, and Ms. Vane. Harry also noticed that the ladies that he was currently stressing over, had shouted just slightly quieter than the older women. He also notice that every single one of them looked ready to tear into the old man.

Dumbledore for his part seem to take it all in stride and let them vent at him about how irresponsible he had been. Once they seemed to run out of steam do to his lack of response; he simply began reading again.

**"Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous - a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was know as Harry Potter Day in the future - there will be books written about him - every child in the world will know his name!"**

**"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Think about the power he will be able to wield! Of how easily that power could be used to cause even more chaos and strife! Can you see how much better off he'll be growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

"I thought you were worried about my safety old man." Harry growled darkly, taking his wand from his hostler and boldly set it on the table before him - the gauntlet basically being thrown. The old man was just caught in a lie, and now the suspicion he's had since he first went to Diagon with Hagrid all those years ago, had some pretty damning evidence behind it.

The Headmaster released a deep sigh and the twinkle faded from his eyes. "My boy, I'm sure if we continue reading through these books, you will realize why I did everything that I have done."

"Fuck that!" Harry snarled, slamming both hands on the table, his real arm grabbing his wand as he swiftly lifted himself up. The Headmaster was on his feet, wand in hand almost as soon as Harry was, both powerful wizards preparing for what would certainly be a fatal battle for one or both of them. "Tell me why you've tried to keep me weak when you damn well knew Voldemort wasn't dead and that he'd definitively be coming for me." Harry asked, knowing there had to be more of it than the Headmaster being afraid Harry would use his fame for evil.

While both wizards were facing off, those nearest Harry took a few steps away, excluding Hermione, Ron, and Neville, although none of them drew their wands. Near Dumbledore, the professors and the Order moved away, but Snuffles and Remus stalked towards him, growling from deep within their chest.

Amelia and her Aurors were united in their stance, wands in hand, ready to react, but not making any threatening gestures. However if the more experienced people in the hall weren't distracted by the posturing of both males, they would have noticed that the Aurors were not as unified as had first appeared. Tonks and Moody were watching each other from the corner of their eyes, waiting to see what the other would do. John Dawlish, an accomplished Auror who was tall with broad shoulders, but was more interested in making gold than upholding the law, had his eyes on an equally tall and broad Auror. Kingsley Shacklebolt noticed his partner watching him and since he knew his partner was loyal to the highest bidder, he angled his body ever so slightly in case he had to defend himself.

"Harry, please-" Hermione started, only to be cut off by the Headmaster.

"Must we really do this Harry? You know as well as I, that any battle between us would result in Tom's victory. Allow these books to explain my actions and if at the end of this you feel you must still walk down this path then do so, but with your mind at ease that you at least have all the facts." Albus said reasonably, his body still tense in readiness. "And perhaps without so many innocent children around." he finished sternly, glaring down at Harry, his eyes cold as ice.

Harry's nose scrunched up in disgust. Dumbledore had expertly placed him in a corner politically speaking. If he attacked now that the Headmaster brought up the children Harry would be persecuted. _'I should have just blasted his old , wrinkled arse from the start. At least then I could have blamed my lack of restraint on simply being an emotional teenager.'_

_"Right and if you do it now they'll all see you for what you truly are…"_

Harry ignored it, the last thing he needed was to be arguing with his own fractured psyche while facing down a Centurial. What he need now was an appropriate response, one that wouldn't weaken his standing too much. He knew it would be damaged after this but at least he could try and minimize the fallout.

Harry straightened up, smugly noticing the older wizard almost lash out with a magical attack, and with a wave of his hand he conjured a needlessly extravagant, ornamental staff. Snapping it in half and sent the top portion, that traditionally held the core, towards the Headmaster who deftly caught it, his visage one of disappointment. Harry of course kept the sharpened bottom part.

Those who knew what that meant, mostly the Purebloods how's families had extremely traditional views, gasped in shock. Not only were they completely baffled by the Potter Heir being at such extreme odds with the exalted leader of the Light, but also by Harry's multifaceted response.

"So be it... When?" the Headmaster responded, his eyes looking for too old.

"The day after the final book is read." Harry answered, taking his seat and letting everyone settle down a bit.

After a few minutes Dumbledore began reading again.

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course. But how is he getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

A few of the younger students chuckled at the thought of a young Harry Potter hidden underneath a wizards cloak. Their laughter helped to begin lifting the oppressive atmosphere Harry and Dumbledore had left.

**"Hagrid's bringing him."**

**"You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"**

**"I would trust Hagrid with my life."**

Hagrid beamed at the praise.

**"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that?"**

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky - and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

Even in his foul mood, Harry could still feel a budding spark of excitement at hearing someone other than him had built their own flying motorcycle.

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

**"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relived. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"**

**"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."**

Harry actually cracked a genuine smile, his mood brightening, happy he and his Godfather had another thing in common - he truly enjoyed learning that they shared certain things like this. His friends who saw him smiling his true smile, and knew that Harry had built his own motorcycle after third year, but didn't know Sirius was actually innocent, stared at him in confusion and shock.

**"No problems, were there?"**

**"No, sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarming' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep.**

Quite a few of the older women and female students cooed at the simple mention of the baby.

**Under a tuff of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lighting.**

Nearly all heads in the hall turned towards Harry, trying to get a glimpse of his nonexistent scar. As if reading that he had a scar there would suddenly make the thing appear after all these years that they've seen him without it. Harry just raised a challenging brow at the stares, causing most to turn away with slightly bashful looks.

**"Is that where - ?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

**"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He will have that scar forever."**

Harry couldn't help snorting in derision, _'Bet you'd like that wouldn't you, you old sod?'_

_"You're assuming he knew it was a Horcrux."_

_"I figured it out after only a few years of learning magic. It's bloody fucking obvious he knew what it was!"_

_"But what if he didn't?"_ the voice questioned, playing the devil's advocate.

**"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"**

**"Even if I could, I would not. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with."**

_"'Even if I could I wouldn't? Scars can come in handy?' Yeah, that doesn't sound like he was scheming. He literally just said it would come in fucking handy!"_ Harry mentally shouted.

"Even back then you knew what was crawling inside my head and you didn't do a damn thing about it?" Harry asked the Headmaster angrily, ignoring the way the everyone tensed up, or the way Dumbledore's followers were fingering their wands.

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean Mr. Potter." Dumbledore answered with a cold look on his face, and danger in his eyes.

"Of course you don't." he replied drolly. _"He didn't know you knew about them."_ the voice said, sounding serious for the first time since Harry woke up. _"He might think you've been messing about with magics you shouldn't be."_

_"You think he's worried I might have a Horcrux of my own?"_ Harry asked his eyes narrowing on the older mans. After a couple seconds of both men glaring at each other the Headmaster began reading.

_"I think you going Dark is one of his greatest fears."_ the voice supplied.

Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned towards the Dursley's house.

**"Could I - could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.**

**"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "You'll wake the Muggles!"**

**"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead - an' poor Harry off ter live with Muggles- "**

Harry spotted Hagrid getting misty eyed, probably reliving the memory. "You shouldn't feel too bad about having to leave me with the Dursleys Hagrid. They helped make me the person I am today." he said hoping to cheer his friend up while also letting everyone know that while living with them had been a nightmare for the first few years, overcoming them led him to where he was now - surrounded by friends he could trust with his life.

Hagrid smiled at Harry, thankful for his attempt at helping him get over the guilt he had been carrying since he saw the way the Dursley's had treated Harry when he had delivered his letter.

**"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two.**

"You left a baby outdoors, at night, during the middle of autumn without so much as a warming charm? You didn't even cast any protection spells or wards." Hermione said coldly. She may not be fully aware of what was going on between Harry and the Headmaster, but she knew enough to know he warranted more than a cold tone.

"Honestly Albus. I would expect you would have known better than that?" remarked Mrs. Wesley, affronted that Dumbledore would leave a child like that.

"Truly Brian? At your age and you're still making stupid mistakes like that?" Perenelle asked rhetorically, with a single, elegant brow raised in slight surprise.

As more people made their displeasure known to the man, he was finally allowed to get a word in to defend his actions. "Admittedly, it was a glaring oversight on my part. One that, as Mrs. Flamel pointed out, someone my age shouldn't be making but I cannot correct it now. All we can do is be thankful Mr. Potter seems to be unaffected by my negligence that night and move on." Dumbledore said, hoping to placate enough people so that he could continue reading.

**For a full minute the three stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

**"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We have no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."**

**"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'd best get this bike away. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir."**

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

**"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.**

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver lighter. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

**"Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.**

_"Think he meant that?"_ Harry mentally asked the voice - it was a bloody pain most of the time, but it understood humans more than Harry ever could.

_"I do. I even think he still wants to mean it, but he's worried. He's see the start to two separate Dark Lords. I'm sure the last thing he wants is to leave the world at the mercy of a third."_

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would need every ounce of luck Dumbledore wished him. He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country, were either cursing his name, or holding up their glasses and saying toast to him: "To Harry Potter - the boy who lived!" And of course, they couldn't possibly know that the child on their minds, would spend the next seven years in his own personal hell, before his life would meet a short and painfully tragic end.**

"That's the end to the first chapter." said the Headmaster said sounding perplexed by such an off putting ending, while casting a slightly worried glance at his idiotic protégé.

"Rather ominous ending aye?" Harry joked, nudging run with his shoulder. His friend shook off his frown that had appeared with that last sentence.

"What the hell does that mean?" Ron asked, looking at Harry like he might fade away at any second.

"Search me. It was probably the authors attempt at adding some sort of flare to the story. You know how authors can be… Well, I mean you would if you ever actually picked up a book at least." Harry quipped, managing to get his mate from digging too much into what Harry thought was one of his greatest shames.

It worked too, as Ron bumped him back with an indignant, "Oi!" causing the most of the hall to chuckle at their antics. Hermione though, wasn't so easily deterred. "Harry, what did that ending mean?" she asked, sounding concerned as her hand sought his out.

"I'm sure the next chapter will explain what it meant, but honestly, I'm right here." he said placing her hand on his broad, muscular chest, causing her cheeks to flush red. "I obviously didn't meet a 'painfully tragic end.'" Harry stated mockingly.

"Now, why don't we get on with the second chapter?" the Headmaster called out. "Would anyone like to come up to read it?"


End file.
